Articles tagged with: Cat in the Hat

A Fine Frenzy is playing in Detroit at the Shelter this weekend. It’s a really small venue so it should be a great show! I saw A Fine Frenzy in the fall (upstairs at St. Andrews)and it was an incredible show (they/she opened for Brandi Carlile). Ferras is opening for them, but I have no idea who that is, maybe someone American Idol-ish?

If anyone is going please leave me a comment or send an e-mail and we can say “hi” while were there…. My mission for the evening is Happy Hour for dinner in Dearborn, a fund raiser auction for school in Redford (this is while we’re missing Ferras) and then get over to the theatre to see Alison sing and sign autgraphs…

Speaking of the auction, once again as an auction prize you can buy bags of coffee, straight from costa rica with some chocolate covered coffee beans. Brought to you from central Amaerica by Moi! Also you can by a basket of Cat in the Hat stickers and books which includes a visit to your house from the Cat in the Hat himself!

So I made out like a bandit at the auction at school. I ended up with five baskets (three of them were the hugest ones there) and two gift certificates. I got good deals but I still spent some cash but I use to donate to the foundation by having it taken out of my check, which was boring, now I just go nuts at the auction and spend it there.

Results on the stuff I donated: My Costa Rican coffee basket had gotten quite a few bids but I think it still only went somewhere in the thirty-ish dollar range. My Cat in the Hat Visit basket wasn’t selling very high at all (it had a few books, an audiobook, stickers and a visit from the Cat in the Hat [that would be me] for story-time or a party) so I bought it. The few times I’ve done it before I did birthday parties and it’s hot inside the costume and the parties are usually outside and if someone isn’t interested in donating enough money I’ll donate it myself (and keep one of my Saturday afternoons free). Plus this means I’ve already got my basket made up for next year!

So here’s the loot I got (click the image for a larger photo):

Margarita Basket – Glasses, mix tequila, chips, dip, etc.

Another Margarita Basket – Glasses, mix tequila, gift certificate for a mexican restaurant (no address or phone, just a name) and some kinda frozen popsicle molds. The basket was a serving tray.

Christmas Basket – This had some beautiful things in it: a cool serving bowl that the spreaders look like light up bulbs (but they don’t light), paper, ribbon, candles, beautiful ornaments, and lots of other stuff. This was the best deal and I got it for a steal. I don’t know where I’m putting this stuff since all the Christmas stuff is in storage.

Family Basket – Four board games, Uno, some books a puzzle, a movie, popcorn and movie candies (and the basket was a laundry basket).

My Cat in the Hat basket – Ready for donating next year!

A gift certificate for a hair cut – at the Fantastic Sams by work (where I go anyways).

Another gift certificate for a hair cut (but not really) – when I opened the envelope I saw it was for something else, I’m assuming someone else complained and I’ll switch with them, otherwise I have month of free karate lessons.So I’m not a big Margarita drinker but last year I didn’t get any of the booze baskets I bid on (I got scads of chocolate ones though) so I bid a little higher this year for the booze. For a while I thought I was going to end up with a 1/2 dozen margarita baskets but in the end I did okay. Now I need some of the salt and the thingy so I can put it on the rim.

Not counting my own basket, I got it all (two baskets of booze + accessories, “two” haircuts, the family night stuff and the Christmas basket) for $185. Kind of a deal, especially when you consider all the little items I didn’t list, and the money does go to our schools.

My mom went this year and had a blast, not as boring as some of the things I drag her to. She ended up with a few coffee or coca baskets (maybe 3 of them?). She’ll be back next year and I bet she’ll bring a friend.

FYI, the auction is not held on school grounds so we’re not violating any state/federal laws with liquor on school property. I won’t mentioned the generous people who do lend us their location in case the liquor donations violate any other rules…

Usually I post this earlier but I forgot this year. Tonight is the South Redford Schools Auction (actually it’s run by another organization but it’s for the schools) and you can always get a pretty good deal on donated items so if you’re not doing anything tonight…

As usual a basket with a few Cat in the Hat goodies that includes a visit from the Cat in the Hat for a party or just to read stories. I’ve been doing this one the past few years.

New this year (and I’m going to start doing this one) is a basket of goodies from my vacation to Costa Rica. Bags of coffee, some muchs, chocolate covered beans, a hand made box (with a toucan on it) and a few other oddities. Assuming this sells, I think I’m going to make a package of stuff each time I go on a trip from now on.

So yesterday I had to do my Cat in the Hat appearance at a birthday party (I sold my self at an auction). I needed to change into the outfit before going and while I look goofy while wearing it, I think it looks even goofier when you don’t wear the whole thing (such as minus hat and whiskers).

So I’ve got the whole thing on, I’m driving the convertible, hanging onto the hat. I’m in the second lane to the left. I pass the cop in the right turn only lane. He swoops out of the lane and into mine (there’s now a van in-between us) and starts following me. It must be due to the rash of Cat (in-the-Hat) burglaries we’ve had lately or maybe there’s a gang of bank robbers who dress up as Cat in the Hat?!? He follows me a few miles and even makes a left turn when I do. He doesn’t follow me down the street to five year old Sophie’s birthday party, could you have seen it if he had pulled me over in front of the house? She would have been traumatized forever…

The party was great BTW, I read a lot of stories, a few Dr. Seuss and then some. We had fun and I even got an offer for another gig. But doing this more than the few times I do it for school auctions (which always seem to be on summer days) is more than enough for me. Maybe if I could do bachelorette parties instead…?

I knew this week at work was going to be cRaZy but I did think I’d have time to blog!?! I haven’t even looked at the photos from Chicago yet (other than on the other people’s blogs). I’m in East Lansing again, one of my favorite towns! Eating lunch at Charlie Kang’s, broccoli with beef with no vegetables (but I still want the broccoli).

I’m off to Bekah’s high school graduation and I’m sure they’ll be lots of eating and drinking after (well, no drinking for her). I’ll see if I can photo blog something for it later :)

And tomorrow I get to be the Cat in the Hat for a 5 year old’s birthday party (this was the party that I was purchased for at the school auction a few months a go).

Since I’m busy this weekend and no time to relax, I’m taking a vacation day Monday, I’ll try to catch up then.

So the results of the School auction are in!!! Actually all thats in is my results. I’ve got lots of items I bid on and many I lost, I won way too much chocolate and lots way to many margarita baskets… And me in the cat suit weere also bid on (see below). So my loot consisted of:

A small fancy chocolate basket that I bid high on

A much larger chocolate basket I paid not so much for (something I was kinda disappointed with that I got after getting the first, although mom loves chocolate).

A hiking basket backpack with compase and trail snacks and a cool water bottle holder that I thought would be great for my trip to Egypt. I won’t bring the backpack but the trail snacks and compas and water bottle will make the trek.

A basket full of board games that I haven’t even checked out yet. But I know it’s got one in there that someone wants for their birthday.

A bizarro basket with shampoo and conditioner and a free haircut from Mastercuts plus a gift-card for Borders. The bonus was that the giftware was worth more than I paid for it and it still had the shampoo and haircut too! Gift certificates for Borders and B&N always work well for me.

Plus some other gift certificate (or two) from the section they haven’t tallied yet when I left. But I know I got at least one one. (I’ll owe someone some money in the morning)

So I’m up for auction again! You can bid on a basket of Cat in the Hat paraphernalia (book, movie, coloring book, crayons, etc) which includes a visit to your house from the Cat in the Hat (that’s me) to read to your kids or a party or whatever…

Last year I go to go to a birthday party for a 7 year old, their mom did the who party as a Dr. Suess theme so I was the hit of the party!

The basket I made got in the local paper (it’s in the lower right). So if you’re not doing anything tomorrow come to the auction in Redford, MI. FYI, it’s NASCAR themed so they’ll be all sorts of non-Cat in the Hat stuff too!

It was Cat in the Hat day in the morning and afternoon preschool so they asked me to dress up and come read to the kids! We did “The Cat in the Hat” and “Green Eggs and Ham” They all had paper hats (and big bow/bowties) that looked like the Cat in the Hat. :)

BlogSpot.com seems to be down tonight (a few blogs and memes I like are up there).

So remember a few months ago a I mentioned I got auctioned off? So today was the birthday party for the winning seven year old; she got to have the Cat in the Hat come to her themed party. We had a blast. They came running out front when I got there and were pretty excited. They made me read four books and eat lunch and the birthday girl even read a new book she got and did an excellent job (even another first grader told her so). And even though they weren’t eating cake at the time they lit the candles and blew it out so they could cut a piece to send home with me :)

So you could have had the Cat in the Hat come to your house for the meager price of $55!!! I went a little cheap (and that was after I bid against the first low bid that was just sitting there; does that count as insider trading?) but a lot of items seemed to go for a bargain this time around; I’m not sure if there wasn’t enough people, too many items or the money crunch is hitting more and more pockets. I’ll end up reading at a young lady’s birthday party in a few months (I think she’ll be six) and I think her mom will probably making it a Dr. Seuss themed party. I always run into the birthday girl around town, I wonder if she’ll recognize me? The (school fund raising) auction was fun; it’s always great to do the silent bids and then see what you got later… I walked away with four items that I “won”.

If you’re into sports you should go to these types of things, there is always all sorts of sports memorabilia (some autographed), tickets and tailgating type packages put together that you can bid on. I’m not so into the sports but I do notice the quantity of items along these lines…

On Friday, March 18, 2005 the South Redford Foundation for Educational Excellence will be having an auction for the public schools in our district. We even let students write grants for their classrooms) in south Redford, Michigan. You’ll be able to bid on all sorts of things including an opportunity to bid on the Cat in the Hat to come read to you and/or your kids! And not only do you get to support the schools you get to meet me!

It’s still reading month so I got to be the Cat in the Hat a few more times today! I got to read to preschoolers, first graders and fourth graders. I read enough so that I feel that “I speak for the trees”! Green Eggs and Ham is by far the favorite Dr. Seuss book for any age. The flash didn’t go off so none of the pictures came out very well, technology isn’t perfect I guess…

Plus it was a baby weekend at work, we found out Dan and Patti had a baby boy Friday night and that Kristen had Triplets this morning!

And even with the weird weather today, there were rainbows on the way home (they didn’t photograph very well though, even with the new camera)!